Interface surgery: Design for mental models
When a web application uses implementation models to represent its functionality, a few common trends emerge.
First, error messages tend to read like bug reports written specifically for the developers who wrote them. Programmers often need to add code to applications during development that helps them debug issues as they arise, and the error messages are written in words that help the developers narrow down the issue. Before the application is released, this is fine, but these cryptic messages often live on into released applications and mystify users to no end. These messages reveal the system from the developer’s perspective instead of revealing the system’s benefits by improving a user’s understanding.
Figure 1: This error message is not only meaningless to users; it interferes with their ability to learn how the application works and their ability to be productive.
Second, interfaces often become overly complicated. Because programmers enjoy exposing every option and setting a system could possibly contain, interfaces offer up buttons, configurations, settings, dialog boxes, panels, and menus that do everything but wash the dishes.
Requirements
To complete this article, you will need the following software:
Adobe After Effects CS3
Adobe Flash CS3
Prerequisite knowledge:
General knowledge of After Effects and Flash
About the authors
Robert Hoekman, Jr., is a professional interaction designer and usability specialist who has worked with GoDaddy.com, Macromedia, Adobe, United Airlines, Cisco Systems, and countless others to provide superior user experiences to a wide range of audiences. In addition to his other writing credits, Robert authored the movie-based training course “Flash User Experience Best Practices”, the Flash design basics book “Flash Out of the Box”, and the seven-part InformIT.com series, “Designing the Obvious.”
Excerpted from “Designing the Obvious: A Common Sense Approach to Web Application Design” by Robert Hoekman, Jr. © 2007. Used with the permission of Peachpit. To purchase this book, visit http://www.peachpit.com.
